Rosaleen believes in the healing power of art

When Rosaleen Heavin took early retirement from her job as a clinical nurse manager, she returned to college as a part-time student in GMIT, where she achieved a 1st class BA in Fine Art and was awarded student of the year in 2015.

She followed that up with an MA in Socially Engaged Practice and Creative Environment from Limerick College of Art and Design. With a Masters under her belt, she decided to marry her skills as a visual artist and her background in psychiatric nursing together by setting up an intergenerational art project in 2016 which has been helping people struggling with their mental health in the Midlands to express themselves through the medium of art for the last six years.

‘Our Vision, Our Voice’ is the name of the collaborative art project established by Rosaleen Heavin and the groundbreaking initiative has been going from strength to strength ever since.

The culmination of the 2022 project was a stunning art exhibition which was opened by Arts & Culture Minister, Catherine Martin, in The Atrium, Mullingar on Tuesday night last and runs until October 21 next.

The exhibition features a collection of photographs, paintings, writings, pottery and video based around the theme of the recovery journey as a lived experience by mental health service users from Mullingar, Athlone, Longford and those in CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) in the Midlands.

Rosaleen Heavin worked as the artist/facilitator with five separate groups over an eight-week period, using recovery in mental health as the main theme. The groups came together each week and were given a particular aspect of their recovery journey to focus on. They were then asked to create a piece of art based on their own personal journey, and the results of that endeavour are now being showcased at the ‘Our Vision, Our Voice’ exhibition in Mullingar.

“Each participant in the project used the art form they were most comfortable with, from taking a picture to creating a painting, to working with ceramics, and it helped them immensely on their own journey towards recovery and kept them focused on that journey,” she says.

Rosaleen says she was “always interested in art” and tried to fit it into her busy lifestyle for a number of years but discovered that she “didn’t really have the time” in between raising five children and working full-time as a psychiatric nurse. She laughs as she recalls how, when she had small children, she did try to pursue an art course through the Open College and was ready to submit some of her artistic work when her children “completely destroyed it.” She adds that “this was a sign that it wasn’t my time to get involved in such pursuits.”

While working for over 30 years as a clinical nurse manager in the community mental health services day centre in Athlone – which moved to a new facility in 2013 known as Croí Oir – Rosaleen could see the therapeutic effect of artistic endeavour on the lives of the service users.

However, it was only when she completed her final year project for her Honours Degree in GMIT that she felt she could marry her skills as a visual artist with her training as a psychiatric nurse. “My final year project was based on a series of photographs I had taken while working in St Loman’s and I exhibited them at the Birr Arts Festival and in Mullingar Library as part of an exhibition and they got a huge reaction from members of the public,” she says.

She decided to put a proposal to the Mullingar Mental Health Association and the Occupational Therapy Services in the Westmeath/Longford mental services division and received “wonderful support” for the idea of setting up an art therapy programme for service users.

Not only that but the ‘Our Vision, Our Voice’ project was funded by the Westmeath Arts Office for the past five years and this year was the first year they received funding from Creative Ireland.

Rosaleen Heavin, whose beloved husband, Michael (owner of well-known Athlone business, Michael Heavin Carpets and Furniture) passed away in September 2018, moved her art project online during the two years of Covid restrictions, during which time the five groups she was working with produced a beautiful booklet showcasing their work. “We are deeply indebted to the Westmeath Examiner who kindly came on board with us to distribute the book,” she says.

The visual artist is a native of Mount Temple, where she has lived all her life, and raised her family with her late husband at their home in Nahad, Teresa; Louise (who is a Green Party Cllr on Westmeath County Council); Padraig, Sinéad and Felicity and she also has four adored grandchildren. “All of the kids were involved in some way or other with mental health projects over the years,” says Rosaleen, who adds that they were always “willing and eager to help out.”

At a time when she has never been busier, the enterprising Athlone visual artist is also heavily involved with the Brosna Art Group in Mullingar where she is the current Chairperson.

The Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council and Athlone native, Cllr Aengus O’Rourke, formally opened the ‘Our Vision, Our Voice’ art exhibition in Mullingar last week at which Arts & Culture Minister, Catherine Martin, was guest of honour. Also in attendance were Martin Rogan, CEO of Mental Health Ireland and Development Officer, Finola Colgan; Wendy Bates, representing Longford/Westmeath Occupational Therapists in the mental health sector, and Catherine Walsh from Athlone one of the participants on the project who spoke very movingly about the healing power of art.

“There was a huge crowd in attendance which was very encouraging,” says Rosalee, “and it is wonderful to see how artistic endeavour can have such a positive impact on those who are struggling with their mental health and also to observe how the staging of the exhibition can help to inform members of the public about the journey that each of the participants has been on.”

Never one to sit back and rest on her laurels, no doubt Rosaleen Heavin is already planning her next project!